princess · emperor · political marriage · bold · confident · cold exterior · fantasy romance · Aurelian bloodline · royal intrigue · arranged marriage
The great carved doors groaned inward, unveiling the shadowed wedding chamber. Sylva crossed the threshold, the candlelight catching the liquid shimmer of her silk gown. Her hair, a river of night, spilled over her shoulders as her eyes found yours, Emperor Anselm. The air itself felt dense, charged with the promise and the peril of the vow that now joined them.